Mirror, Mirror
by LordRandallsLady
Summary: AU...After a day of fun with the girls, Kagome returns home with more than souvenirs and happy memories. A short Halloween story for 2009.
1. Awakened

A/N: Given that it is now October and my kids are counting down the days to trick-or-treating, I have decided to write a short Halloween-inspired story. It will be only five or six chapters, based on prompts from the LiveJournal community dokuga_contest. Chapters will of varying lengths depending on the constraints given for the particular week's contest. My goal is to have the story complete by the end of the month.

A mature rating has been given as a precaution for future chapters yet to be written.

**Special thanks** to LC Rose for giving this the once over.

* * *

**Mirror, Mirror**

**Chapter One - Awakened**

'_Kami, what time is it?_' Kagome groaned at the insistent pounding on her door. _'7:00?! It's _**Saturday**_!'_

"Open up, Kags!!" Kagome bolted out of bed, instantly awake at the sound of a familiar voice yelling in the hallway. Throwing open the apartment door, she pulled Eri inside before the girl woke up the entire building.

"What's _wrong_ with you?" Kagome hissed. "And what are you _wearing_?!" Kagome knew her friend had a quirky sense of fashion, but what the hell was with the feline dominatrix getup?

"We're going out," the eccentric girl replied, shoving a bag into Kagome's arms. "C'mon, get dressed! Ayumi and Yuka will be here any minute!"

"But what's in…?" Kagome trailed off, yawning.

"Special attire is required," Eri replied mischievously, turning Kagome and giving her a slight push toward the bedroom.

Shaking her head, exasperated, but knowing resistance was futile, Kagome went to dress. She had a very, _very _bad feeling about this. Nothing good ever came from Eri's crazy schemes.

'Let's see…,' she thought dumping the bag's contents on her bed.

"_No way in __**HELL**__!"_ Kagome shouted, staring at the "outfit."

"Don't make me come in there, Kags!"

Twenty minutes and several contortions later, Kagome emerged to find a sexy nurse and Playboy bunny had joined Eri.

Yuka let loose a low whistle. "You look _**hot**_, Kags!"

"I feel naked!" Kagome whimpered, dressed in what amounted to no more than scarlet hot pants and bra with sequined flames crisscrossing her bare midriff and breasts. The entire ensemble was topped off with thigh-high red pleather boots, glittering horns and pitchfork.

"You're _perfect,_" Eri declared excitedly, dragging Kagome out the door before she could protest.

xxx

As the girls drove toward their destination across town, a long-dormant creature awoke, golden eyes glittering in the darkness of his prison…waiting.

* * *

I hope you enjoyed this first installment, inspired by dokuga_contest's Weekly Perfection prompt, Quirk. I am proud to say that it placed third in that week's contest. Length was limited to 300 words, exactly.


	2. Attachment

**A/N**: Thanks go to LC Rose for looking this over for me.

* * *

**Mirror, Mirror**

**Chapter Two - Attachment  
**

"You have _got_ to be kidding. We can't go in there dressed like this!" Kagome stood gaping at the theme park's entrance in horror.

"Oh, c'mon, Kags. It's almost Halloween. It's the only time the park lets everyone dress up," said Yuka.

"But…" she started, casting a wary eye at the children with their parents swarming around the entrance plaza. Little girls dolled up like princesses; boys donning pirate and Jedi gear – they were so cute.

'And I look like Hell's hooker,' she thought miserably, looking down at her sparkling flames, wishing she had a jacket to hide her scantily clad body.

"Kagome, we've have all been too busy lately. It's time to blow off some steam," said Eri, looping her arm through Kagome's and giving it an affectionate squeeze. "Let's just have fun, okay?"

"Ummm…".

"Good!" Yuka attached herself to Kagome's other arm, Ayumi hooking herself to Eri's other side as together the three friends pulled Kagome into the throng of park-goers.

* * *

"Over here!"

Kagome groaned as she felt a pull on her arm, yanking her off in another direction. They'd been there for more than twelve hours and her feet _hurt_. Red high-heeled boots were definitely _not_ conducive to traipsing around an amusement park all day. Not to mention, she was cold, wishing she had a jacket for the umpteenth time that day. She loved her friends for what they had tried to do, dragging her out for the day in an attempt to distract her from the chaos and drudgery that was her life.

It almost worked, but she was plagued by a restlessness that had been growing throughout the day. At first she thought it because of all the stares and comments her little group had been receiving about their rather questionable attire.

But she soon realized it wasn't that.

There was a strange tugging on her heart that started the moment they'd entered the park. The pull had only increased as the hours passed. Though she couldn't explain it, Kagome knew there was somewhere she needed be. All day she'd been looking over her shoulder, distracted, hunting for the source of her unease. It was as if something was beckoning to her, but she couldn't locate the source of call. She did her best to hide her agitation from her friends, but as night fell, the feeling increased a thousand-fold.

When the group reached their destination in a poorly-lit corner of New Orleans Square, Kagome stopped short at the gate, staring in awe at the old, plantation-style house while her friends rushed ahead. The building was _nothing_ like she remembered it from her childhood, transformed from its normally unintimidating façade with quirky graveyard to the stuff of Halloween fantasies.

Surrounded by thin fingers of evening fog, hundreds of glittering candles lined the roof while more candles flickered from the second-story veranda ironwork. Swaths of black fabric, festooned across railings and columns, fluttered in the night air. Giant pumpkins, impaled on iron spikes were lit from within. Carved into wicked visages, they leered down on park guests from the darkened hillside behind the house.

The sight was hauntingly beautiful, glowing in the gloom of the night, and the pressure within Kagome built to near unbearable levels.

"Kags! What are you doing?" Yuka's voice yelled from the line, startling Kagome out of her reverie.

"Sorry! Coming!" Pasting a smile on her face Kagome stepped forward to join her friend..

The moment she passed through the brick gate marking the ride's entrance, an unseasonably warm breeze washed over her, lifting the ends of her ebony hair while it brushed her skin, heating it like a lover's caress.

Kagome stilled, soaking in the feeling as the weight that had burdened her all day lifted…and she _knew_. What she was searching for was _here_, finally within her reach. Anticipation sparked along her skin and pooled deep within her belly, heating her with a warmth that had nothing to do with the wind.

"_Come to me…"_ A deep, sultry voice borne on the warm air whispered across the shell of her ear, sending a small electric shock down her spine. A vision of golden eyes flickered in her mind's eye, leaving her breathless with an unnamed need. Eyes fluttered closed as Kagome gave herself over to the sensations.

"Kagome? Is that you?" An unexpected but familiar voice hit her senses like a bucket of ice water. Kagome spun, startled.

"H-Hojo?" she stammered, placing a hand over her racing heart.

"I thought that was you. But what are you doing here…and dressed like that?" Hojo cocked an eyebrow in amusement as his eyes raked over her skimpy costume.

"U-ummm…" Kagome laughed nervously.

Before she could answer, Ayumi approached the pair, her white nurse's uniform glowing in the semi-darkness. "Kagome, what's taking…Hojo? Hey! What are you doing here?"

"Hi, Ayumi! I just got off my shift and was heading home when I saw Kagome here."

"You _work_ here?" Ayumi asked excitedly. "How cool is that?!"

"Yeah, well, it pays the bills," Hojo replied, shrugging.

"Say, if you're off work and not too beat, why don't you join us?" Ayumi asked. "Eri and Yuka are already in line."

"Oh, I don't want to intrude."

"Nonsense! Don't you think he should come, Kagome?" Ayumi turned to her silent friend.

"Sure…" Kagome replied distractedly, staring at the mansion again as she tried to suppress the near-overwhelming urge to push her way to the front of the line.

"Is there a single rider?" The ride attendant's voice called out over the crowd.

"Here!" Kagome's hand shot into the air of its own accord. The crowd in front of her parted to give her room to pass when a hand caught her wrist.

"Kags! What are you doing?" Eri asked in surprise.

"I…uh…well," she stammered, desperately searching for some excuse to explain her odd behavior. Spotting Hojo, she improvised. "Well there's five of us, right? Someone's going to have to ride alone," she said, shrugging.

"Miss?" the attendant called. Kagome extricated herself from Eri's grip, bouncing her way toward the front of the line.

"I'll meet you guys at then end!" she called over her shoulder, waving as she went.

Kagome made her way through the dimly-lit corridor inside the building toward her "doom buggy." Drumming her fingers impatiently on the hard surface of her seat, Kagome willed her ride to move faster. As the carriage passed into darkness and the narration began, she couldn't help the shiver of excitement that made its way through her body.

But not very far into her journey, Kagome's heart began to clench in worry and panic seized her. Nothing out of the ordinary was happening. She made her way through the ride, barely taking in the familiar sites: the candelabra floating mysteriously in an endless corridor, the head of a fortune teller floating in a crystal ball.

Had she only imagined it? That sense of near-completion she'd felt upon entering the gate…was it only in her mind? A whimper escaped her lips.

'_Where are you?'_

Then, as she stared down on the ballroom with its projected apparitions, Kagome saw it …a silvery shadow that didn't belong. It flitted through the dancing images, vanishing before she could focus on it. She leaned over the safety rail, willing the image to reappear as the ride slowly dragged her away.

Moving through the graveyard, she absently watched as animatronic ghouls popped in and out of graves while a quintet of faux-marble busts sang their creepy barbershop tunes. Kagome leaned heavily against the back wall of the carriage, unsure of what exactly she had seen. Whatever it was she'd witnessed in that fleeting moment, her gut told her it was what she'd been waiting for.

An overwhelming sense of disappointment came over her when the narrator's voice returned signaling the end of the ride. She paid little attention to his words; she knew them nearly by heart.

"Beware of hitchhiking ghosts," the voice warned. In about five seconds, Kagome would look at herself in the mirror with the projection of some silly looking ghost that was supposed to follow her home. Then it would be over. No great revelation…no solution to the puzzle…nothing.

The ride's buggy slowed as it neared the end, preparing to let passengers off. Kagome sighed, eyes closed, head hung in defeat. Inwardly, she laughed at herself for her foolishness. Clearly, she was exhausted from the long day, the surrealism of the place playing to her over-active imagination.

Kagome looked up again to see which ghost had chosen her, knowing her friends would ask. What she saw made her nearly jump out of her skin.

There, sitting next to her in the mirror, was a creature of such terrifying beauty he took her breath away. Kagome's world slowed and an eternity seemed to pass within those few seconds as his image was emblazoned in her mind: shining silver hair, skin pale as moonlight stained with strange indigo and magenta markings. Clad in red and white silk, he looked so solid, so _real_ sitting there that Kagome tore her eyes away for a brief moment to check the seat next to her, only to find it still empty.

When she looked up again, blazing golden eyes pinned her in place. The massive stole that was draped across one shoulder seemed to move of its own free will, snaking its way behind her neck, down over her breasts, until it came to a rest wrapped around her middle. Kagome shivered, eyes fluttering, at the silky feel of the fur brushing across her bare skin.

"Oh, God…" she sighed breathlessly.

Instinctively, Kagome reached across her lap to stroke the fur that rested at her waist. Gray eyes widened in surprise when her fingertips instead met the sharp prickles of the sequins adorning her costume.

Kagome watched as his mouth curved into a feral, knowing smile, revealing pointed fangs. She swallowed thickly around the knot that had formed in her throat at the sight of that smile, the feel of the illusionary fur against her skin.

All too soon, the moment passed and Kagome found herself stumbling off the ride, pushing her way toward the exit. As she gulped down the cool night air, willing her racing heart to slow, a single word, spoken in that same deep voice, echoed through her soul:

_Mine_…

Her mind reeled at the declaration, unable to process what had just happened.

'Oh, not good… _**not **_good…'

* * *

A/N: This next bit in our little tale was written for dokuga_contest's Oneshot Prompt #28, Bad Timing. Submissions were required to have a minimum of 500 words. I'm pleased to say that this piece placed second in that contest.


	3. Aftermath

**Mirror, Mirror**

**Chapter Three - Aftermath**

Grasping the hand rail, Kagome hauled herself up the stairs, silently wishing she didn't live on the third floor. She felt heavy – drained both physically and emotionally.

She'd asked if they could leave, told them she was ill. While it wasn't exactly the truth, it wasn't a lie, either. Something strange happened on that ride, something that set Kagome's heart racing in ways she wasn't quite sure were good for her.

Who was he? _What_ was he? He definitely was _not_ human. She tried telling herself he wasn't real, but she couldn't deny the he'd awoken a need in her so deep, so primal, it was frightening.

Kagome fumbled with keys before finally managing to push her way inside. Not bothering with the lights, she dragged herself toward her bedroom, throwing the torture devices disguised as footwear by the dresser.

As she prepared for bed, a soft, rumbling growl permeated the room. Kagome froze in the darkness, her pulse skyrocketing.

"W-who's there?"

"You know who I am," a deep, familiar voice answered.

'_It can't be…_' Kagome's mind rebelled.

Looking into the mirrored closet door, Kagome could just make out her reflection, costume sparking dully, lit by slivers of moonlight filtering through the windows. Behind her, in the gloom of the dim light, she watched him take shape, the molten eyes which haunted her glowing in the darkness.

He was tall – she hadn't realized how much so before – towering over her small form, powerful, fearsome. Kagome's breath was shallow, her throat dry, though whether from terror or anticipation, she didn't know.

One claw-tipped hand made its way around her waist, gently brushing against any bare skin. Another tangled in her hair, gently tilting her head to expose the long column of her throat. Kagome watched him press his nose against her temple, inhaling deeply before placing small kisses and gentle bites along her shoulder and neck, until warm lips came to rest on her racing pulse.

"Do not be frightened, little one. You belong to me; I treasure what is mine," he whispered, his tone heavy with unspoken promises.

Kagome lifted her hand, the need to touch him overpowering, but was met with empty air. Spinning away from the mirror, she found herself alone in the room. Turning back, she saw him once more.

"Are you real?"

"Yes."

"But why…?"

"Sleep, little one. There you will find the answers you seek."

* * *

A/N: this third installment in my little tale was written for dokuga_contest's Weekly Perfection prompt #56, Stairs. Length was limited to 400 words, exactly.


	4. Answers

**Mirror, Mirror**

**Chapter Four - Answers**

"Remember me…" his voice pleaded.

Kagome dreamed of golden eyes and silver hair…of whispered words and heated touches…

"Who are you? _Please…_" she begged. "I need to know."

"Remember _us_…"

…a home, family, children...

Kagome tried to make sense of the patchwork of visions even as they slipped through her fingers like so many grains of sand.

Images changed…she was surrounded by flames, burdened by the dead weight of a girl with hair of silver and black, her cherubic face streaked with blood…

Kagome's mouth opened in silent screams…

The scene shifted again. Bound and gagged, Kagome knelt in thick mud as rain poured around her, dousing the fire consuming the palace. Across the courtyard, she saw him bound in heavy chains. Helpless, she watched the priestess seal him away.

Searing pain sliced across her throat. In the mirror, she met his eyes in silent farewell.

* * *

Sesshoumaru watched Kagome twist in her bed, face contorted as she dreamed. Even as he wished to spare her this agony, he willed her to remember. It was the only way to release him, to right what had been wronged so many centuries ago.

Kagome's sobs filled the room as she whispered, "I remember."

* * *

AN: This installment was written for dokuga_contest's Weekly Perfection prompt #57, Patch. Length was limited to 200 words, exactly. I'm happy to say it placed third in that week's contest.


	5. Atonement

**Mirror, Mirror  
Atonement**

He'd been lured away by a report of rebellion in the northern lands. Like a fool, he'd fallen for the bait. By the time he returned, it was too late; the traitors' numbers were more than even the great taiyoukai could overcome.

He'd watched from his prison as they cut her down, his eyes as red as the blood that flowed from her body.

"_Consider this retribution for your many sins_," whispered the voices of his memory.

Now, after five hundred years of waiting, she lay just beyond his reach.

"Kagome…"

She was redemption – his life, his mate…his love.

* * *

**A/N**: Written for the LJ community dokuga_contest's Weekly Perfection prompt, Bait. I am proud to say that it placed first in that week's contest. Length was limited to 100 words, exactly.


	6. Acceptance

**Mirror, Mirror  
Acceptance**

Kagome knelt before her mirror, her face streaked with the tears of her nightmare. Her mind was a jumble of broken images, but each was frightening in its clarity. Though she still did not fully understand all that she'd seen in her dreams, but there was one thing she was certain of.

"We shared a life together," she whispered, tears falling more quietly now.

"Yes," he murmured in agreement.

"But it was not in _this_ life."

"No."

She felt long fingers cup her jaw; a thumb swept across her cheek in an attempt to remove her tears.

"Who was I?" she asked, closing her eyes and leaning into his gentle touch.

"Then and now…you are the same," came his low reply before she felt the brush of lips just behind her ear. "You are mine; I am yours."

Shivers ran through Kagome when she felt the brush of silky fur against the side of her neck, his pelt once again making its way around her. Breathless, Kagome trailed fingers over body, tracing the path of that illusory fur across the contours of her form. Kagome gasped when she felt his touch on her leg. Slowly, seductively, long fingers trail up her thigh, around the curve of her hip. Unbidden, a moan escaped her lips when she felt those fingers glide under her shirt, gradually working their way under her top to ghost up the smooth plain of her stomach.

"Tell me what you want," he whispered against her ear.

"I-I don't…I can't…"

Fighting her way through the fog of desire he was arousing, Kagome stood, walking to her window, breaking his contact with her. Pulling back the curtains to look out over the rooftops of the neighboring houses, she tried to calm her racing heart and pull her thoughts together. How could she feel this way about someone she'd never met?

The visions in her dream were from another woman, another lifetime. In _this_ life, she did not know this creature. She desired him, longed for him, but was it because that's what _she _wanted or was it because of those memories?

"Kagome…" His deep voice cut through the tangle of the thoughts.

She shuddered at the sound of her name. It seemed like she had never before heard it spoken until it rolled off his tongue. Turning, she looked on him again, and in a moment of stunning clarity, the pieces fell into place and she _knew_.

It didn't matter that she'd seen him for the first time only last night. It didn't matter that the memories were from a different lifetime, they were still _her_ memories, ones that belonged to her soul, not her mind. Those memories bound them together, beyond death…beyond time.

"I loved you…" she whispered.

His face remained impassive, but Kagome saw a fire light behind that golden gaze.

"What is it that you want, Kagome?" he asked, repeating his earlier words.

"Come back to me," she answered, this time without hesitation.

A pulse of energy shot through Kagome's hand where she touched the mirror, the shock causing her to pull her hand back. Kagome watched in horror as cracks appeared in the glass, splintering and spreading in their jagged web across its surface, fracturing Sesshoumaru's image.

The mirror exploded into a thousand shards of sparkling glass and silver. Kagome ducked and covered her head as the pieces rained down around her. When she looked up again, she saw only the mirror's empty frame.

He was gone, and Kagome felt her soul rip.

"Sesshoumaru!"

* * *

**A/N**: Written for the LJ community dokuga_contest's Oneshot prompt, Rooftops. I am proud to say that it placed first in that week's contest. Length was 500 words minimum - my entry stands at 588.


	7. Relinquish

**Mirror, Mirror  
Relinquish**

Kagome stared absently at the movie on her television as she consumed a pint of truly evil chocolate chunk ice cream.

"Switch!"

Eri grabbed Kagome's container, shoving a different flavor into the girl's hands. A wan smile flickered across Kagome's lips as she spooned a bit of the toffee-rich dessert into her mouth. Eri had shown up on her doorstep an hour ago, armed with chick flicks and cartons of Kagome's favorite dessert. Kagome had let her in reluctantly, recognizing her friend's intervention techniques.

"So, you gonna tell me what's up?" Eri asked, talking over the movie.

"What d'ya mean?" Feigning ignorance, Kagome jammed more ice cream in her mouth.

"You've been a _zombie _since last Sunday!"

It had been a week since the mirror shattered. Had it not been for a kitchen trash full of glass, Kagome would have doubted any of it had happened. She blamed herself for Sesshoumaru's disappearance. With each passing day, she lost a little more hope that he would return and it made her heart _ache_. Brow furrowing as she picked at a particularly large chuck of toffee with her spoon, Kagome tried to figure out how to explain. Eri would think she was crazy.

'_Hell, maybe I am.'_

Taking a deep breath, Kagome decided to take a chance on her friend.

"Do you believe in reincarnation and soul mates?"

Kagome sat waiting with bated breath for Eri's reaction, but none came. The girl just sat there, blinking.

"I knew it. You think I'm nuts," Kagome sighed, grabbing the containers of ice cream and taking them to her tiny kitchen.

"No, no!" exclaimed Eri, jumping up to follow her.

Kagome stared out the window. The setting sun rimmed the clouds with a golden light, bringing back visions of Sesshoumaru's fiery gaze. She closed her eyes against the sight, memories of his heated touch flooding her senses, just as they had countless times during the last week.

"Face it, Kagome, he's gone," she whispered, mentally shaking herself.

A resounding crack filled the room and Kagome yelped in pain. Rubbing her abused bottom, she turned to find Eri brandishing a rolled-up towel.

"Snap out of it, Kags! It's Halloween. Let's get dressed up and head down to the club. Take your mind off things, 'kay?"

"Maybe you're right," Kagome mumbled, walking to her room where she pulled out the glittering outfit that had started it all.

* * *

A/N: This installment in my little tale was written for the LJ community dokuga_contest's Weekly Perfection prompt #59, Spank. Length was limited to 400 words, exactly.


	8. Hunted

A/N: Special thanks for LC Rose for helping me work out the kinks in this chapter.

Disclaimer: The lyrics quoted in this oneshot belong to the musical genius that is Amy Lee and _Evanescence_. Characters aren't mine either.

* * *

**Mirror, Mirror  
Hunted**

As the sun sank below the horizon, a tall, stoic figure materialized in the growing darkness of Kagome's apartment. Inhaling deeply, he took his first breath of freedom in more than five centuries, wrapping himself in the one scent he desired most: spring rain and orange blossom

_Kagome…_

It took but a moment for him to realize she was not there. The space was too quiet, her scent slightly stale. Striding to a sliding door, he opened it to find a small balcony off her bedroom. Silver hair, illuminated by the rising harvest moon, fluttered in the cool air as Sesshoumaru looked out over the darkening city, his golden eyes narrow and calculating as he studied the grid of crisscrossing roadways.

Sifting through myriad foreign smells, he caught the traces of Kagome's scent borne on the wind. Blood racing in anticipation of the hunt, he leapt from the balcony and landed gracefully on the sidewalk below in a swirl of silk and fur. Turning to the west, Sesshoumaru flew through the streets in pursuit of his prey.

His mate was somewhere in this city. He would find her and reclaim what was his before it was too late.

* * *

The throbbing in Kagome's head pulsed in time with the thrumming bass of the night club's dance music. The small table at which she sat was littered with empty drink glasses. No doubt one or two of those drinks had contributed to the massive headache now torturing her. Leaning heavily on her hands, she watched her friends dance with abandon out on the concrete floor. She was jealous of their carefree attitude, unable to join in the revelry.

"Why can't I just _let it go_?" She'd tried drowning her memories of last weekend with alcohol, even tried dancing with a few of the club's male patrons, but it was no use. She ached for him.

_Sesshoumaru…_

"Helllooo, sexy lady."

Kagome looked up, brow furrowed in irritation at the unwanted interruption of her private pity party. Her anger disappeared when she focused on a pair of familiar violet eyes.

"Hey," she replied unenthusiastically, trying to muster a smile for her dear friend.

"Now that's not _exactly_ the greeting I was looking for. Maybe something more along the lines of: 'Great costume, Mir!' or 'You know, Miroku, I've thought it over, and of _course_ I'll be your wife.'" He winked, flashing his most charming smile, but Kagome only looked away, focusing on a rumpled napkin in the middle of the table.

"Oh, this _is_ bad. Eri warned me, but I had no idea."

"Sorry," Kagome replied looking up again, frowning as she looked his costume over. "Why the hell are you wearing a dress?"

"_Robes_, not dress," he admonished.

"Fine. Why the hell are you wearing _robes_?" Kagome corrected

"Because I'm a Buddhist monk, of course!" he exclaimed, flinging his arms wide, his expression proud.

Kagome couldn't help the snort of laughter that escaped. "Really? You know they're celibate right?"

Miroku pouted, crossing his arms over his chest. "I'll have you know, my powers of restraint are akin to godliness."

Kagome deadpanned, only raising a single eyebrow in disbelief. If there was one thing her friend was incapable of it was keeping his hands off the opposite sex.

They stared at one another, each silently challenging the other to see who would break first. The corners of Miroku's mouth twitched until finally he gave in.

"I never could win against you," he laughed. Even Kagome couldn't help but chuckle a little; Miroku's good nature was nothing if not contagious. "Now _there's_ the pretty smile I was looking for!" he said, chucking her chin playfully.

Grabbing a chair, he settled in close behind Kagome, wrapping his arms around her neck and pulling her into a sort of hug. She felt him rest his chin on her shoulder so she could hear him without yelling.

"What's goin' on, Kags?" he asked his tone turning serious.

"I'm not even sure any more, Mir," she sighed, leaning her head against his. She didn't have a clue how to explain what she didn't understand herself.

They sat there quietly watching the costumed crowd gyrate, Miroku waiting patiently for anything she might be willing to tell him. The silence between them stretched on and when the dance beat gradually faded into something slower, Kagome felt Miroku's arms tighten around her.

"How 'bout a dance?" he asked quietly.

"Mir, I…"

"Please?" He stood, moving around in front of her, hand held out in invitation. "For old time's sake? I promise to be good," he said, crossing his heart and holding up a hand.

After a moment's hesitation, she allowed him to lead her to the middle of the floor, tangling her fingers in his. She moved easily into his arms, wrapping her own around his neck. Old habits die hard, and Kagome found herself pressing closer to him as she let the warm comfort of being held by him seep through her, his embrace warm, familiar. Leaning forward, she hid her head against his shoulder, vaguely trying to remember why the relationship between them hadn't worked.

'He's such a great guy,' she thought to herself.

Kagome gradually relaxed in Miroku's embrace, allowing her mind to go blissfully blank, losing herself instead to the haunting melody that flowed around her.

_You used to captivate me__  
By your resonating light__  
Now I'm bound by the life you left behind  
Your face it haunts  
My once pleasant dreams  
Your voice it chased away  
All the sanity in me_

Slowly, the music's lyrics worked their way into her hazy mind, their meaning piercing her heart. Eyes filling with tears, Kagome thought about the shattered mirror and the creature within it. In the few hours he'd been with her, Sesshoumaru had turned her world upside down.

_These wounds won't seem to heal  
This pain is just too real  
There's just too much that time cannot erase_

The words resonated through Kagome. It was like the song writer was singing to her alone as she was flooded by memories of her past life and the happiness that was stolen from her. All she thought she knew about herself seemed like a lie somehow. No matter how many centuries passed, how many lifetimes she lived, she knew she could never again forget him nor the past they shared.

_I've tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone  
But though you're still with me  
I've been alone all along_

How could things so brief, so intangible, consume her so completely? When the mirror shattered and he disappeared, Kagome had felt something break within her. Even now, the sense of loss was so overpowering that as she stood in the arms of a dear friend, she felt utterly alone. The tears flowed freely, silently, and she clung just a little tighter to Miroku.

As the couples swayed to the hypnotic music, a flicker of shimmering white appeared amongst the crowd, catching Kagome's attention. Stepping quickly out of Miroku's embrace, she searched frantically, a desperate hope rising within her. Kagome thought she caught a glimpse of his pale, marked, face standing near the edge of the crowd, but the vision disappeared as quickly as it had come.

'It can't be…' she thought, heart racing.

"Kagome?" Miroku's concerned voice cut through the sound of the blood pounding in her ears. "You okay?"

"I thought I saw…"

A powerful presence brushed up against her senses, leaving her breathless. She looked up at him, her gray eyes wide, filled with apprehension. Miroku looked over the top of her head to a place beyond the crowd, emitting a low whistle.

"Damn, now _that_ is a costume!" he exclaimed. "Are those real swords?!"

Kagome turned to see who had caught his attention. The sea of couples parted before a figure clad in red and white silk as he made his way to where she stood. His blazing golden eyes pinned her in place, lit with a fire that caused heat to curl deep within her.

"Kagome."

The voice was deeper and richer than she remembered. Shaking, she approached him slowly, hardly daring to believe he was real. Despite the four-inch heels of her boots, he still towered over her small form. With trembling fingers, she reached up to graze across the stripes on his cheek. His eyes drifted closed at her touch and she released an audible gasp when she felt his warm skin against her hand.

"Sesshoumaru? You're real?" her whisper of disbelief could barely be heard above the music that once again pounded around them.

"Kagome, who _is_ this guy?" Miroku's voice cut through the noise, but he might as well have been invisible given the lack of response.

"You doubted your own heart?" Sesshoumaru asked, his claws raking through her ebony hair, down the exposed skin of her back.

"You're real," she whispered again, her knees buckling as darkness consumed her.

* * *

A/N: This chapter was written for dokuga_contest's Oneshot Prompt #30, Crossroads. Submissions were required to have a minimum of 500 words.


	9. Reunited

A/N: Well my little Halloween fic took on a life of it's own and has carried on a lot longer than I originally intended.

There will be only one, _maybe_ two, more chapters left in my little tale.

**Warning**: A tiny taste o' lime.

* * *

**Mirror Mirror  
Reunited**

Sesshoumaru tracked Kagome through the city, following the very faint trail of her scent. He was an expert tracker, but five hundred years trapped in his sensory-depriving prison and an onslaught of very pungent, unfamiliar scents made the hunt more difficult.

Now he found himself standing in the middle of a room packed with people in all manners of strange dress. The overpowering stench of humanity filled his nostrils masking his mate's scent, but he bore it, knowing that Kagome was somewhere within the seething mass. Even using his keen eyesight, Sesshoumaru was having trouble locating her, the flashing light making it difficult to focus.

Music slowed, the humans paired off into couples. That's when he saw her, being led into the crowd by another male. His carefully maintained control nearly slipped as he watched the stranger pull Kagome into an intimate embrace.

Growling low, Sesshoumaru's _youki_ flared dangerously though his face remained impassive. Making his way forward, the sea of humanity parted before him, pushed aside by the unseen force of his power. The world around him faded the moment Kagome's wide eyes found him.

Trembling fingers brushed against his cheek and he couldn't help but close his eyes in pleasure. It had been _so long_ since he'd felt her touch; he wanted nothing more than to carry her away from this place, to show her just how much he'd missed it. He knew, however, that he would have to tread slowly – though they shared a soul, this was not the same woman he'd lost so many centuries ago.

"You're real?" she whispered, fainting. He caught her easily, pulling her close and cradling her with infinite care. He turned to leave, but a hand dared to grasp his arm to restrain him.

Turning fiery eyes, he met the angry glare of the male who moments before had been embracing Kagome.

"I don't think so. Where do you think you're going with Kagome?"

"That is none of your concern, human," he snarled, baring fangs.

"Yes, it is," the man replied solemnly, seemingly unaffected by the show of aggression. "I'm won't allow you to leave with her."

"You have no choice. She is _mine_," he growled, as he leapt over the crowd, disappearing out the door in a flash of light.

xxx

Kagome awoke in the semi-darkness of her own room, her head's earlier throbbing was now reduced to a dull ache.

She was home…in her bed…

'But how?'

Sifting groggily through her memories of the evening made hazy by too much alcohol, she tried to remember how she'd gotten home. The last thing she remembered was dancing with Miroku. And then…

And then…

"Sesshoumaru!" she gasped, bolting upright, immediately regretting the action when the room began to spin around her. She propped her head on bent knees waiting for the dizziness to pass.

"You are awake."

Kagome's breath caught at the sound of the deeply familiar voice. Looking around the room illuminated only by silver-bright light that streamed through the clear glass of her balcony doors, she saw him melt from the shadows.

A thousand butterflies took flight in her stomach at the sight of him glowing in the moonlight. Myriad emotions flooded her, but one dominated all the others – fear. She feared the unknown, of being with him, of being _without_ him.

Rising on shaking legs, she approached him. Unable to meet his eyes, Kagome laid her hand over his heart, feeling its steady beat her fingers. Tears fell. He was an illusion no longer; he was solid, real.

Clawed fingers raked through her hair before gently cupping her jaw, gently urging her to look at him. Sesshoumaru's resolve to not rush her cracked at the transparent, raw emotion shining out through her stormy eyes – her need was as great as his.

Leaning in, he cupped her beautiful face with both hands, gently pressing his lips to hers. Kagome whimpered, hands fisting the in silk of this clothing, knees threatening to buckle under the onslaught of desire that arose in her at his kiss.

Sesshoumaru needed no further encouragement. Angling her head, he deepened the kiss, pulling all manner of delicious sounds from Kagome's throat. It wasn't until he sensed her need for air that Sesshoumaru pulled back, resting his forehead against hers.

"Why?" she whispered.

There was so much hidden beneath that one, simple word, but Sesshoumaru understood.

"I am yours…you are mine. The number of lifetimes matters not. There is no other for me but you."

When he claimed her lips once more in a searing kiss, Kagome responded ardently, gasping when she felt herself lifted into Sesshoumaru's strong arms as he carried her back to the bed. There were so many questions that needed answering, but Kagome pushed them aside, trusting there would be time enough later.

For tonight, she would give herself over to what her heart told her was right. Each touch of his lips, every caress of his hands fueled the fire burning within her. And when they finally came together, Kagome was filled with a sense of completion she had never believed possible.

* * *

A/N: This chapter was written for Live Journal community dokuga_contest's Oneshot Prompt #31, Transparent. Submissions were required to have a minimum of 500 words; mine stands at 850. I am please to say it placed second in the polls.


	10. Dawning

Here it is, the final chapter of what was supposed to be a short Halloween tale.

**Special Thanks** to LC Rose for her unwavering support of this story. You're the best!

xxx

**Mirror, Mirror  
Chapter Ten - Dawning**

Sesshoumaru watched as Kagome slept in the bed next to him. He'd waited too long, slept too long in his mirrored prison to waste any more time sleeping. Carefully, he studied the details of her face, noting the subtle differences between this woman and her previous incarnation. If anything, he would say that she was even more beautiful than he remembered. Silken, ebony hair fanned in dark waves across her white sheets like spilled ink, tousled from the previous night's activities. Gently he wrapped one of the dark locks around a clawed finger, noting how the dawn light brought out its subtle, blue highlights.

Sighing softly, Kagome rolled so that she was facing him, the sheet sliding down in the process, revealing the creamy expanse of her shoulder and the swell of her breasts. A low rumble escaped his throat as he remembered how that skin had felt under his fingertips. He had taken singular pleasure in exploring her body, in discovering all the areas that gave her the most pleasure. He itched to wake her for the simple joy of looking once more into the depths of her soulful eyes. And yet, a part of him feared doing so.

Outside a new day was dawning, and with it, the unfamiliar feeling of uncertainty emerged. He couldn't help but wonder what would happen when she awakened.

He was no fool. He was a virtual stranger to the woman in the bed next to him. Though she gave herself to him willingly, he knew that things between them would not be so simple.

Golden eyes drifted closed as Sesshoumaru prayed to any _kami_ who was listening that he would be granted a second chance at life with her.

xxx

Drifting up from the heaviness of sleep, a contented sigh escaped Kagome's lips as visions of the previous night fluttered across her mind's eye. Heat coursed through her veins the memory. Sesshoumaru had been both passionate and gentle, taking his pleasure from hers.

Eyes still closed, Kagome buried her nose in the pillows, inhaling the deeply masculine scent that was both foreign and yet deeply familiar.

"Mmm…good morn-" Kagome's greeting was cut short when her outstretched hand met empty space next to her.

Grey eyes flew open and confirmed what her hand had told her – she was alone.

"Sesshoumaru?" she called out tentatively, unable to mask the edge of panic that laced her voice. He would not have left, right? Not after last night, not after...

Kagome swung long legs over the bed's edge. Wrapping the rumpled quilt around her naked form, she yanked the bedroom door open. The moment she saw him, her fear vanished, but the tightness of an unnamed emotion gripped her, making it difficult to breath.

He stood next to a window, the golden light of the dawn setting his silver hair on fire. Dressed only in his _hakama, _his torso was left bare to her hungry eyes which took in every detail she had missed in the darkness and passion of the previous night.

Pale skin glowed, stretching over perfectly toned muscles, their power barely contained by the flesh that covered them. Magenta stripes, like those on his face and wrists, also curved over each hip, disappearing tantalizingly below the fabric on his waist.

He was probably this single most beautiful creature she had ever seen.

'And he's _mine_…' her soul whispered fiercely. Giving herself a mental shake, she cleared her throat and walked toward him. In the light of this new day, she needed reason, not lust – she needed to figure out what was next.

Amber eyes slanted her way, watching as she padded across the carpet to stand before him. She studied his face for a few moments before turning to watch the sun cresting the city skyline.

"Beautiful," she breathed quietly.

"Very," came Sesshoumaru's reply, though Kagome could feel the intensity of his gaze still on her. Blushing under the scrutiny, Kagome looked down, pulling the quilt tighter, a free finger playing nervously with a loose thread.

"I meant the sunrise," she whispered quietly, studying the coverlet's pattern trying to ignore the pounding of her heart.

"Hnn…"

Clawed fingers smoothed back the ebony hair that had fallen forward, obscuring her face. Kagome caught her lip between her teeth in a gesture of nervousness, searching for the right words for what she wanted to say.

"You are anxious," he observed bluntly.

Kagome simply nodded, continuing to look down. A gentle hand cupped her jaw, encouraging her to look at him.

"Why?"

Sesshoumaru's simple question opened the floodgates and all of Kagome's confused thoughts came tumbling out in a rush.

"There's so much I don't know about you…about _us_ and our past together. I remember some things, but not everything. And I _do_…want to know everything, that is."

Kagome paused, turning to pace the room, unable to meet his eyes. Her brow furrowed as she plunged ahead, all of the bottled and confused emotions of the past week rushing to the forefront.

"I only met you, what, seven, no _eight_ days ago and you were in a _mirror_, for crying out loud! We have barely two conversations – if you can even call them that, with all the _touching_. I have a crazy-ass nightmare in which I holding a dead child, you're tied up, and relive my own murder.

"Then, _then_ my mirror freakin' _explodes_ and you vanish!For a _week_! I thought I was crazy, that I'd imagined the whole thing…hell, I think my friends believed I was nuts…but it felt like someone had ripped my heart out. How could a hallucination make me feel that way?"

Sesshoumaru watched Kagome circle the room, a small smile gracing his lips. She was so much like the woman he remembered – passionate and effusive.

"And last night you just reappear out of nowhere, living breathing flesh. And somehow I end up back here with you. Heaven knows what Miroku thinks…"

She trailed off, she flopped down onto her couch, drained. Sesshoumaru made his way over to where Kagome sat, lifting and cradling her in his lap. Burying her face against his neck, Kagome absorbed the warming comfort her offered.

"I know this is not easy for you, _koi_. You are not the same woman, but you share the same soul and therefore the same memories."

"I'm _scared_, Sesshoumaru," Kagome whispered quietly. "I don't know you, not really, and yet I know that I can't live without you. That frightens me."

Gradually, her heart slowed, mind settling a little. A sudden, odd thought struck her as she sat nestled in his embrace.

"What was her name? For some reason I can't remember." Pulling back, Kagome looked up into his face.

He didn't need to ask who she meant. Sesshoumaru hid behind long bangs, concealing the pain that flickered through his eyes.

"Does it matter?"

"I suppose not. I was merely curious," she replied quietly, looking away, hurt that he would not share with her.

Turning her to face him once more, Sesshoumau gently swept away the tear that trailed down her cheek.

"_Your_ name was Mitsuko. You were a _miko_, a priestess."

"Will you tell me? Help me remember us?"

Bending low, Sesshoumaru placed a gentle kiss against her lips. Pulling Kagome close, he began the long tale of their past. As Kagome listened to the deep rumble of his voice, she couldn't help but feel she had come home.

xxx

A/N: This final chapter was written for dokuga_contest's Oneshot Prompt #32, Wrinkle. Submissions were required to have a minimum of 500 words; mine stands at 1,238. I'm pleased to say that this piece placed third in that contest.

Thank you, everyone, for reading my little tale. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Until next time...


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